And they want to hold workshops, bring in speakers and open up rehearsals to the public to make the production reflect the ideas of audience members.

Minority actresses, by and large, say they love the idea behind Athena, which is to give opportunities to those who are overlooked by the traditional theater community.“I’m a woman and a minority so sometimes I get the double deal,” says Sharon Doku ’05. “A lot of times in theater, a lot of things are done by typecasting. It’s hard for a black woman to get a part that should be done by a white woman.”

Others say companies like Athena are necessary to promote diversity in Harvard theater, which has, in the past, been criticized for being elitist and for marginalizing minorities.

“Often times the casting that goes on at Harvard isn’t colorblind,” says Black CAST President Vanessa R. Carr ’02. “It’s great that these organizations exist because there seems to be a need for it, but it’s sad there is that need.”

“The environment for minorities at Harvard theater is not very friendly,” says HRDC member Kimberly J. Ravener ’03. “[The theater community] tends to be a very small, tight-knit group of people, which can also be a code word for incestuous, so it’s just not as established to have diversity in HRDC.”

Naomi R. Krakow ’03, HRDC Campus Liaison, notes that the HRDC board is already reaching out to minorities. She says increased publicity efforts are in the works and a main stage production of “Three Sisters,” a color-blind play with strong female characters, is also being developed.

But while most praise the idea behind Athena, some question the wisdom of avoiding common casting.